Find Out Your Chances of a White Halloween

In most of the U.S., snow on Halloween would be an unusual sight. With hundreds of thousands of kids and parents set to prowl the neighborhood for candy in less than two weeks, a blanket of snow on the ground will make the task a lot less enjoyable. To find out if your area is at risk of a white Halloween, keep reading.

Can I expect snow on Halloween this year?

While we're a bit too far out to make accurate predictions about the weather in specific cities, the likelihood of snow on Halloween is low for most people. Most people in the Lower 48 have less than a three percent chance of snow in October, Alaskan climatologist Brian Brettschneider says. Bretschneider's criteria is a snow-depth of at least one inch or measurable snow on October 31.

Residents in high altitudes along the Rockies, portions of the Moutain West, and areas of the northern Plains could celebrate a White Halloween, according to Brettschneider. Breckenridge, Colorado, residents have a likelihood of snow of about 41 percent. Outside of the contiguous U.S., Alaska, not surprisingly, has the highest chance of snow on Halloween — up to 60 percent in some areas. States in the Northeast are hovering around a 10 percent chance of snow come Halloween. It's doubtful that southern states will see any flakes at all.

That said, you might be in for a surprise!

In 2011, a huge snowstorm whirled through parts of the Northeast, depositing at least 30 inches of snow in parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Though the storm lasted only from October 29 to October 30, the snow lingered at least through Halloween. The event, which became known as "Snowtober," left 3 million without power and contributed to 39 direct and indirect deaths, according to NOAA.